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KAISER PERMANENTE OREGON HOSPITALS RECOGNIZED AS “ 2026 BEST HOSPITALS FOR MATERNITY CARE” BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT - 12/10/25

KAISER PERMANENTE OREGON HOSPITALS RECOGNIZED AS “ 2026 BEST HOSPITALS FOR MATERNITY CARE” BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

 

[PORTLAND, Ore.]  December 10, 2025  —  Kaiser Permanente’s Sunnyside and Westside medical centers have been designated as “2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care” by U.S. News & World Report for providing high-quality maternity care to patients.

 

This is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study. Kaiser Permanete’s medical centers are the only hospitals in the Portland metro area to receive this recognition.

 

Kaiser Permanente’s maternity care teams have served thousands of families who entrusted us with their care. Through November of 2025, Sunnyside Medical Center delivered 1,995 babies and our Westside Medical Center delivered 1,183 babies.

 

U.S. News recognizes hospitals that meet rigorous standards in caring for patients with uncomplicated pregnancies. These ratings are intended to help expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care team, make informed decisions about where to receive maternity services that best meet their family’s needs.

 

“We are honored that both Kaiser Permanente hospitals have been recognized for excellence in maternity care,” said Elizabeth Melendez, M.D., chief of obstetrics and gynecology for Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “Supporting pregnant patients and their babies through this extraordinary milestone is a privilege we never take for granted. This recognition reflects the unwavering dedication of our integrated hospital and maternity teams to deliver compassionate, high-quality care and uphold the highest standards every single day.”

 

The Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside and Westside medical centers earned the high performing designation based on measures of quality, such as such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial and ethnic disparities, among other measures.

 

“Hospitals designated as a U.S. News Best Hospital for Maternity Care are national leaders. This recognition means they are consistently hitting crucial patient safety benchmarks compared to other hospitals,” said Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News. “It's a clear signal to expectant parents about where the highest standards of care are being practiced – when parents see this designation, they can be assured they are choosing a hospital dedicated to exceptional, evidence-based maternity care.”

 

U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, began evaluating maternity care hospitals in 2021, rating hospitals that provide labor and delivery services and submit detailed data to the publication for analysis. 

 

This year, the national designation was awarded to only 495 hospitals in the United States, or about 55% of the 899 hospitals that participated.

 

For more information, visit Best Hospitals for Maternity Care

 

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technological advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org

 

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

KAISER PERMANENTE OREGON HOSPITALS RECOGNIZED AS “ 2026 BEST HOSPITALS FOR MATERNITY CARE” BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT - 12/10/25

KAISER PERMANENTE OREGON HOSPITALS RECOGNIZED AS “ 2026 BEST HOSPITALS FOR MATERNITY CARE” BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

 

[PORTLAND, Ore.]  December 10, 2025  —  Kaiser Permanente’s Sunnyside and Westside medical centers have been designated as “2026 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care” by U.S. News & World Report for providing high-quality maternity care to patients.

 

This is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study. Kaiser Permanete’s medical centers are the only hospitals in the Portland metro area to receive this recognition.

 

Kaiser Permanente’s maternity care teams have served thousands of families who entrusted us with their care. Through November of 2025, Sunnyside Medical Center delivered 1,995 babies and our Westside Medical Center delivered 1,183 babies.

 

U.S. News recognizes hospitals that meet rigorous standards in caring for patients with uncomplicated pregnancies. These ratings are intended to help expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care team, make informed decisions about where to receive maternity services that best meet their family’s needs.

 

“We are honored that both Kaiser Permanente hospitals have been recognized for excellence in maternity care,” said Elizabeth Melendez, M.D., chief of obstetrics and gynecology for Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “Supporting pregnant patients and their babies through this extraordinary milestone is a privilege we never take for granted. This recognition reflects the unwavering dedication of our integrated hospital and maternity teams to deliver compassionate, high-quality care and uphold the highest standards every single day.”

 

The Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside and Westside medical centers earned the high performing designation based on measures of quality, such as such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial and ethnic disparities, among other measures.

 

“Hospitals designated as a U.S. News Best Hospital for Maternity Care are national leaders. This recognition means they are consistently hitting crucial patient safety benchmarks compared to other hospitals,” said Jennifer Winston, Ph.D., health data scientist at U.S. News. “It's a clear signal to expectant parents about where the highest standards of care are being practiced – when parents see this designation, they can be assured they are choosing a hospital dedicated to exceptional, evidence-based maternity care.”

 

U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, began evaluating maternity care hospitals in 2021, rating hospitals that provide labor and delivery services and submit detailed data to the publication for analysis. 

 

This year, the national designation was awarded to only 495 hospitals in the United States, or about 55% of the 899 hospitals that participated.

 

For more information, visit Best Hospitals for Maternity Care

 

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technological advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org

 

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.